Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to remain Apple Inc’s primary chip manufacturing partner despite reports that Apple could shift some orders to Intel Corp, industry experts said yesterday.
The comments came after The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Apple and Intel had reached a preliminary agreement following more than a year of negotiations for Intel to manufacture some chips for Apple devices.
Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (台灣經濟研究院) economist Arisa Liu (劉佩真) said TSMC’s advanced packaging technologies, including integrated fan-out and chip-on-wafer-on-substrate, remain critical to the performance of Apple’s A-series and M-series chips.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
She said Intel and Samsung Electronics Co still lag behind TSMC in areas such as chip yields and power efficiency, making it difficult for Apple to move flagship chip orders away from the Taiwanese foundry in the near term.
Liu added that Apple and TSMC have built deep technological ties over the years, creating a high barrier for competitors. Unless rivals achieve major breakthroughs in 2-nanometer or gate-all-around (GAA) technologies, TSMC is expected to remain Apple’s preferred manufacturing partner.
While Intel is pushing its Intel 18A process and Samsung is seeking opportunities through its 2nm GAA technology, both companies have previously struggled with issues such as unstable yields and excessive power consumption during large-scale production, Liu said.
She said TSMC’s leading position remains difficult to challenge due to its stable delivery record and extensive research and development capabilities. For Apple, shifting core chip orders too early could pose significant supply chain risks.
President Capital Management Co (統一投顧) chairman Park Li (黎方國) also told CNA that Apple’s reported move was not due to problems with TSMC’s technology, but rather because strong demand for advanced processes from artificial intelligence chip customers such as Nvidia Corp has tightened TSMC’s production capacity.
Li said the situation reflects TSMC’s dominant position in advanced chip manufacturing, with demand currently exceeding supply across the industry.
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